In September 2016 Reading Borough Council announced, out of the blue, that they would be closing Arthur Hill Swimming Pool at Cemetery Junction. Despite tooth and nail opposition to the Council from local residents, the pool closed in December.
However, the story isn’t over yet. Before Christmas we raised £10,000 to prepare a business plan for a community take-over of Arthur Hill Pool. We’ve set up a community interest company to run the baths and have now put together a plan for running the pool. The Council will make a decision on whether or not to accept our proposal at a meeting at the Council Offices on Monday 10th April.
We need your help for the meeting on 10th April. If our plan is to succeed, we will need not only the Council’s approval, but also their assistance and a promise to use windfall cash they will obtain from a new housing development near Cemetery Junction to repair the pool. If we are to succeed in re-opening Arthur Hill Pool we will need your support in the following ways:
- Please email your local councillors and ask them to support the community proposal to re-open the pool which will be discussed by the Policy Committee on 10th April. You can find contact details for your councillors here.
- Please join us at 6.00 pm on Monday 10th April at the Reading Borough Council Offices in Bridge Street (opposite House of Fraser) to demonstrate to local councillors that there is still strong support for re-opening Arthur Hill.
- Please join the Arthur Hill – Save Our Swimming Community Interest Company as a member to show your support for our work and have your say in future decisions.
This is likely to be our last chance to re-open the pool – so let’s make the most of it.
Arthur Hill SOS News 